O’Connor: 20 years ago

Twenty years ago, I was the business manager for the Oklahoma City Fire Department. I was the highest-ranking civilian in the organization and responsible for all administrative functions – purchasing, payroll and budgeting. On the morning of April 19, 1995, I was with Fire Chief Gary Marrs on our way to a meeting in the city’s office building at 420 W. Main St. We never made it there because at 9:02 a.m. a bomb destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building.

Marrs and I were among the first responders on the scene – Marrs, a true first responder, and me, a novice. I don’t often talk about that day; few people know that I served for a time with the fire department. This week, it seems important to reflect on how much has changed in 20 years.

Oklahoma City citizens are familiar with the story of MAPS. In 1991 we lost out on the United Airlines maintenance facility to Indianapolis since we lacked quality-of-life amenities expected. Before the bombing, Mayor Ron Norick set out to change Oklahoma City with the first MAPS program. It’s my belief that the bombing and the community response afterward solidified our resolve and commitment to building a better community.

Following the bombing, the city received more than $50 million in federal grants to repair damage from the bombing. Automobile Alley transformed largely due to these grant programs. Programs like the Murrah Revitalization Loan Program helped businesses move back into the district and laid the groundwork for groups like Midtown Renaissance to reinvest in the area.

MAPS projects were delayed because of the magnitude of effort required from the city to respond to the bombing. However, they were completed and the energy created by investing in ourselves has furthered downtown’s transformation.

I’m proud of my service to the fire department and the small role I played in helping this city with financial recovery efforts after the bombing. I’m proud of the men and women I worked with, especially the civilian employees who worked behind the scenes to make sure firefighters had the supplies they needed and got paid. I’m also proud of my city that has come so far and has such a bright future.

Cathy O’Connor is president of the Alliance for Economic Development of Oklahoma City.